vnderstond that the good spirite shuld fle and disprayse wordly
delittes. Therefor Boys[455] seith in the .iii. booke of Consolacion
that the felicite off the Epicuriens shulde be called vnfelicite, for
the full and the perfyȝth felicite it is that the which [can] make man
sufficiently myghty, reuerende, solempne and ioyeux, the which
condicions resiste not to thynges whereopon wordly peple settyth there
felycite.[456] Thereffor God seyth by the profyte Ysaie, [“Popule meus,
qui te beatum dicunt, ipsi te decipiunt”].[457]
LXXV.
To vndirtake to avance werre, [Sidenote: f. 56.]
Make thou not Paris the begynner;
Better he cowde (take vittenes aboue)
Disporte in the feyre armes of his loue.
Paris was nothyng condicionned to armes, but all to loue. Therefor it is
seide to the goode knyght that he shuld not make a cheuetayne of his
host ne of his bateilles a knyght the whiche is not apte to armes. And
therefor Aristotyl seith to Alizaunder, “Thou shuldest make hym
connestabil of thyne oste that thou knowes is wyse and experte in
armes.”
That ye shulde not make Paaris to begynne yowre werres, it is to
vnderstonde that the good knyght gostly, tendyng only to the knyghthode
of heuen, shuld be holly drawen fro the worlde and ches contemplatyue
lyffe. And Seynt Grigore seith vpon Ezeciell that the lyffe
contemplatyue is of ryght preferred afore the actiue liue as for the
worthier and the gretter, for the actiue life travellith hymselfe in the
laboure of this present lyfe, but the contemplatyve lyfe farith as he
that tristith[458] the sauour of the reste that is for to come. Wherefor
the Gospell seith off Mary Magdalene, be whom contemplacion is figured,
[“Optimam partem elegit sibi Maria, quæ non auseretur ab ea”].[459]
LXXVI.
Sette the not to be a spy, I the seye,
But loke thou kepe euer the hey weye.
Sephalus[460] wyth his [s]harpe iaueloth[461]
Lereth it the, and the wyff of Lothe.
The fabill seith that Sephalus was an ancient knyght the which delyted
hym grettely all his lyue in the disporte of huntyng, and he coude cast
a darte hade sich a propirte that it was neuer cast in veyne, but it
kyllyd all þat it tovched. And because that he hade a costome to ryse in
the mornyng and to goo to the forest to aspye the wylde bestis, his wyff
was ielous ouer hyme and supposed that he loued othir than hire, and for
to know the trowthe she went after to aspy hym. Sephalus, the which was
in the woode, when he herde the leues make noyse where that his wyff
went, supposed that it hadde ben some wylde best, kest his iauelot and
kyllyd his wyff. He was hevy of that mysse aventure, but there myght no
remedy be hadde. The woman Lothes wyffe, as that Holy Scripture
wytnessyth, turnyd ayen ayens the commawndment off the aungell, when she
herde that the .v. cetees sanke behynde hyr, and therfor anon she was
chawnged into a [Sidenote: f. 57.] salte ston. And be all sich figures
may be sette many vndirstondynges. For the trwthe and for to take it in
example for the trowthe, no good man shulde delyte hym to spye anothir
in thynges that longeth not to hym; and to the entend that no man wolde
be aspyed, Hermes seith, “Do not to thi felawe that the which thou
woldyst not were done to the, and strech no snaris for to take men
wythall, ne purches noon harme to theyme be aspyeng ne be wyles, for at
the last it will turne opon þiselfe.”
That a man shulde not sette hym for to spye may be vndirstondyn that the
good sperite shuld not peyne hym to knowe othir mennis dedes, ne to
enqwere tydyngges of othir. For Seynt John Crisostome seith opon the
Gospell of Seynt Mathieu, “Howe takys thow so grete hede,” seith he, “of
so many litell defawtes of othir men and latyst pase so many grete
defawtes in thyn owyn dedes? Yf thou loued thi selfe better than thi
neyghburght, whi empechest thou his dedes and leuys thyne owyn? Be
diligent to considir thin owyn dedes fryst, and than consider the dedes
off othir.” To this purpose owre Lorde seith in the Gospelle, [“Quid
autem vides festucam in oculo fratris tui, trabem autem in oculo tuo non
vides?”].[462]
LXXVII.
Disprayse not of Helene the councell;
I counsel the so wythowte fayle,
For ofte many hurtes falleth then,
Because that we beleue not wyse men.
Helene was brothir to Hector and Kyng Priantes sone of Troye. He was a
full wyse clerke and full off konyng. As mych as he myght, he counseyled
that Paarys shulde not goo into Grece to rauyssh Helayne; but thei wolde
not do aftyr hym, for the which the Troyens were hurte. Therefor it is
seide to the good knyght that he shuld beleue wyse men and there
councell, and Hermes seith, “Who so worchyppyth wyse men and vsyth there
councell, thei be euerlestyng pepyll.”
Helene, the which counselled ayens the werre, that is to sey that the
goode sperite shulde eschwe temptacions. And Seynt Jerom seith that a
synner hath noon excusacion whereby he howght to suffyr temptacions to
ouercome hym, for the temptyng feend is so febill that he may ouercome
noon but thoo that wyll be yolden to hyme. And thereopon Seynt Povle the
apostyl seyth, [“Fidelis [Sidenote: f. 58.] Deus qui non patietur vos
temptari supra id quod potestis,” etc.].[463]
LXXVIII.
Be not to mery ne to sori
For thi dremes, though thei be hevy.
Morpheus byddyth, the messanger
Off the god of slepe and dremes seere.[464]
A ffabill seyth that Morpheus is sone to the god of slepe, and he is his
massenger and he is god of dremes and cawsyth men to dreme. And because
that dremes be trobolous thynges and a derke and some tyme it may
syngnifie contrarie to the dreme, þer is noon so wyse that may propirly
speke[465] liche as the expositours seith of theyme[466]. Therfor it ys
seide to the good knyght that he shulde not be to heuy ne to mery ffor
sich avysyons, be the which a man may not shewe no certeyne knowlych ne
to what thyng thei sal turne, and anamely þat a man shulde not be to
mery ne to hevy ffor thynges off fortune, the which be transsitorie.
Socrates seith, “Thou that arte a man, thou shuld not be to hevy ne to
mery ffor no maner cawse.”
Where it is seide that a man shuld not be to mery ne to hevy for non
avysyons, we shall seye that the good speryte shuld not be to heuy ne to
meri for no maner cause that cometh to hym and that he shuld suffre
tribulacions paciently. Seynt Austyn seith vpon the Savter, “Fayre son,”
seith he, “yf thou wilte wepe for thi sorres that thou felest, veepe
vnder the correccion off thi Fadir; yf thou wepe ffor tribulacions that
comyth to the, be ware that it be not for indignacion ne for pride, for
the aduersyte that God sendyth to the it is a medycyne and no payne, it
is a chastisment and no dampnacion. Put not fro the thi Fadris rodde but
yf that þou wylt that [he] put the from his heritage; and thynk not on
the payne that thow owghtes to suffre of his scorge, but considir what
place thow haste in his testament.” To this purpose the wyse [man]
seythe, [“Omne quod tibi applicitum fuerit accipe et in dolore sustine,
et in humilitate tua patientiam habe.”][467]
LXXIX.
Be the see yf thou wylt vndertake
Perlyous viages for to make,
Off Alchion[468] beleue the counsell.
Ceys therof the soth may the tell.
Ceys was a kyng, a full good man, and loued wele Alchyon [Sidenote: f.
59.] his wyff. The kyng tooke a deuocion ffor to go a perlyows passage
on the see in a tempest, but Alchyon his wyffe, the whiche loued hym
ryght hertily, dyde gretyly hir besynes to meve hym fro[469] that vyage
and with grete teris of wepyng prayde hyme full besyly; but it myght not
be remedied by here ne he woold not suffir hir to goo with hym, stondyng
that she wolde all gates haue gone with hymme and at the departyng she
styrte on to the shepe.[470] But Ceys the kyng comfortyd hir and with
force made hyre to abyde, for the which she was full anggwyssous and
hevy and in ryght grete woo. Neuer the lesse Eolus,[471] the god of
wyndes, meved theyme soo gretely opon the see that the kyng Ceys within
fewe dayes perysshed on the see; ffor the which, whenne Alchyon knew
that aventure, she kest hire selfe into the see. The ffabill seith that
the godes had pyte þeroff and chawnged the bodyes of the .ii. louers
into .ii. birdes, to the intent that there grete loue myght be had in
perpetuell mynde. And yette þe same birdes flee opon the see syde, the
which be called Alchions and there fedres be whyte; and whan the
maryneris see theyme come, þan be they sekyr of a tempest.[472] The
ryght exposicion hereof may be that in mariage .ii^o. loueres loued
togedir in lich wyse, the which poyetes lykeneth to the .ii^o. byrdes
that hade sich a case and aventure. Therefor it is seide to the goode
knyght that he shulde not put hym in no perlyous passage ayens the
counsell off his good ffrendis. And Assaron[473] seyth that the wyse man
enforseth hym to draw hym fro hurtes, and the foole doth his diligence
to fynde hurtes.
For to beleue Alchion, it is to vnderstond that the goode speryte by
some evil temptacion is empeched with some errowe or dowte in his
thowght, in the which he shuld reporte hym to the openyon off the
cherche. For Seynt Ambrose seyth in the .ii. booke off Offices that he
is fro hym selfe that dispyseth the counsell of the cherche, for Joseph
helped kyng Pharaon more profitably with the cownsell off his prudence
than though he had yoven hyme eythir gold or syluer; for syluer myȝgh
not a purueyde for the famyn of Egypte the space of vii. yere. Therefor
it is concluded, “trust counsell and thou shalt not repent the.” To this
purpose the wyse man seith in his Proverbes to the persone of holy
chirch, [“Custodi legem atque consilium et erit vita animæ tuæ”].[474]
LXXX.
Off a chylde beleue notte the counsell,
For off Troylus remenbre the wele.
Trest[475] ye may men aged and prouede,
That in armes hath sore bene charged.
When Kyng Priant had repared Troye ayen, the which was dystroyede
because of the greuyng of theym that went into Colcos, [Sidenote: f.
60.] than Priant thought to take vengance for that distraccion and
asemblyd his counsell, where that were many hy barons and wyse men, for
to wete wheythir it were good that Paaris his sone shulde goo into Grece
to ravyssh Elen or noon in achaunge for Esyona[476] his sistir, the
which was taken be the Thelomonailles[477] and ledde into thraldom. But
all the wyse men seyde nay, becavse of proficies and of scriptores, the
whiche seide through that rauysshyng Troye shuld be dystroyed. Than
Troylus, the whiche was a child and the yongest of Priantes sones, seyde
that men shulde not in counsell of werre beleue olde men ne there
prouerbes, the which threwe[478] there cowardyse counselleth euer to
rest; so he counselled that they shulde goo togedir. Troylus conseil was
holdyn, of the which felle myche harme. Therefor it is seyde to the good
knyght that he shuld not holde ne beleve the counsell of a childe, the
which of nature is full lyght and lityll to consydir. An auctorite seith
to this purpose that where a childe is kyng þe londe ys onappy.[479]
That a good speryte shulde not agre hym to the counsell of a childe, it
is to vndirstond that he shulde [not] be ignorant, but knowyng and full
lerned in that the which may be prophyte to his helth; ffor ayens
ignorant pepyll Seynt Austyn seith, “Ignorance is a full evyl modir, the
which hath full evill doughteris, that is to sey, falssenes and doute;
the fyrst is myschawnce, the secund is wreechednes, the fyrst is
vicyous, but the secund is softer,[480] and these .ii. is drawen away by
wysdome.” Therefor the wyse man seyth, [“Sapientiam prætereuntes non
tantum in hoc lapsi sunt ut ignorarent bona, sed insipientiæ suæ
reliquerunt hominibus memoriam”].[481]
LXXXI.
Hate Calcas and his false disseytes,
Off whome the infynyte malicis
Betrayeth many reaumes expres[482];
Off wordly pepyll þer is no wers.
Calcas was a sootyl clerke of the cete of Troye,[483] and, whan Kyng
Priante knew that the Grekes come opon hym with a grete oste, he sent
Calcas into Delphos to wete of the god Appolonie[484] how the werre
shulde fortvne. But after that the god hade aunsweryd, the which seide
[that] after .x. yere the Grekes shulde haue the victorie, Calcas turned
towarde the Grekes and aqwaynttyd hym with Achilles, the which was comme
into [Sidenote: f. 61.] Delphos for the same cause, and with hym he went
to the Grekes, whome he helpid for to cownsel ayens his owen cete and
ofte tymes disturbed the pes betwyne the Grekys and the Troyens. And
becawse he was a traytore, it is seide to the goode knyghte that he
shulde hate sich evill sotell pepyll, ffor theyre traysones so done be
willes may hurte gretly reaumes and empires and all maner of pepyll.
Therefor Platon seith, “A soothel[485] enemy, though he be poore and not
myghty, may greue more than a ennemy myghty and ryche vnknowyn.”
Calcas, the which shuld be hatyd, may be vnderstonden that the good
speryte shulde hate all fraudelous malice ayens his neyghburgh, for he
shulde in no wyse consent thertoo. For Seynt Jerom seith that a
traytoure will not be sowpled, neythir for familiarite off felachep ne
for homlynes of mete and drynke ne for grace of seruyce ne for plente
off benefices. Off this vice seith Seynt Poule the aposstell, [“Erunt
homines cupidi, elati, superbi, proditores, tumidi”].[486]
LXXXII.
Be thou notte harde for to graunt, I say,
Sich a thyng as welle enploy thou may;
To Hermofrodicus[487] haue tendyyng,[488]
The whiche tooke harme for his denying.
Hermofrodicus was a beauteous yong thyng, and on of the fayree[489] was
sore enamourede of hymme, but he in no wyse had leste to love hire and
she purswed hym ouer all. Yt felle on a tyme that the yong thyng was
full wery of the purswte wherein he hadd trauelled all the day. Than he
come to a well-spryng sette abovte with salwes,[490] by the whiche was a
fayre stanke, styll and clere, ffor the which a lest he hade to bathe
hym.[491] He dyde of his clothes and went into the water. Whan she off
the fayree sawe hym onclothyd and all naked, she went in to hym and for
grete loue tooke that yong thyng in hir armes; but he, the which was
full froward, put hire fro hym ryght rudely, so she myght not wynne his
hert for no prayour. Than she of the fayree, full of woo, prayde to the
godes that she myght neuer parte from hire loue, the whiche put hire so
fro hym. The godes of pete harde hire deuoute prayere; than sodanly they
chaunged the .ii^o. bodies into oone, the which were of .ii^o.
seytis.[492] This fabill may be vnderstondyn in many maneres, lich as
sothell clerkes and philosopheris hath hide there grete secretes vndir
couertoure of fable. Thereto it may be [Sidenote: f. 62.] vnderstondyn
sentence longyng to the science of astronomy, and as wele of
nygromancye,[493] as that maystrys seyth. And because that the matyr of
loue is more delictable to here than othir, gladely[494] they made there
distinccions[495] opon loue for to be the more delectable to here,
anamly to rude pepill, the whiche take but the barke, and the more
agreable to subtile, the which sowketh the lyquor. But to owre purpose
we may vndirstond that it is velany and a fowle thyng to refuse or to
grawnte wyth grete daunger that the which may not turne to vyce ne to
preiudice, thowgh it be grawnttyd. For Hermes seyth, “Make no long delay
to put it in execucion that the which þou shuld doo.”
The goode speryte shulde notte be harde to graunt there where he seyth
necessite, but reconforte the nedy to his power. As Seynt Gregore seith
in his Moralles that, whan we wyll reconforte any that is afrayed in
heuynes, we shulde fryst make heuynes with theyme, for he may not veryly
reconforte the hevy person which cordeth hyme not with his heuines. For
leche a man[496] may not ioyne oon yren to anothir yf thei be note hote
bothe .ii^o. and softyd with the fire, on the same wyse we may not
redresse anothir yif oure hertes be not softted be compassyon. To this
purpose Holy Scripture seith, [“Confortate manus dissolutas et genua
debilia roborate”].[497]
LXXXIII.
Thou mayst wyth the pleys the solace
Off Vlixes, when thou hast tyme and space
In the tyme of trwes and of fest,
For they be both sotel and honest.
Vlyxes was a baron of Grece and off grete sotylte and duryng the long
seege afore Troye, the whiche lestyd .x. yere, [when] that trwes were,
he fond pleys full sotyll and feyre for to disporte knyttes therewyth in
the tyme of soioure and rest. And some seyne that he fonde the game of
the chesse and sich othir lich. Therefor it is seide to the good knyght
that in dwe tyme men may wele play at sich games; for Solyn seith, “All
thyngges that is sottyl and honest is lefull to be doone.”
The pleyes of Vlixes may be vnderstondyn that, when the knyghtly speryte
shall be wery off prayer and of beyng in contemplacion, he may wele
disporte in redyng of Holy Scriptures; ffor, as Seynt Jerom seith, Holy
Scripture is sete in the yen of owre[498] [Sidenote: f. 63.] hertis as a
merowre, to the entent that we shuld se the herdly face[499] of owre
sowle, and therefor may we see the lewdenes, there may we see who
myche[500] that we profyte and how fayre we ben [fro] profyte.[501] To
this purpose owre Lord seith in the Gospell, [“Scrutamini scripturas,
quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam æternam habere”].[502]
LXXXIV.
Yif thou wilt yeff the to Cupido,
Thy hert and all abaundon hire to,
Thynkke on Cresseides nwefanggyllnesse,[503]
For hire hert hade to meche dobylnesse.
Cresseide [was] a gentilwoman of grete beaute, an[d] she was yit more
qwaynte and sotell to drawe pepill to hir.[504] Troylus, the yongest of
Priantes sones, [the which] was full of grete gentilnesse, of beaute and
of worthines, loued hire ryght hertily and she hade youen hym hir loue
and promysyd to hym that it shuld neuyr fayle. Calcas, fadir to the
gentilwoman, the which knew by science that Troye shuld be distroyid,
dide so myche that his doughter was delyuered to hym and browght owte of
the cete and ledde to the seege among the Grekes, where hir fadir was.
Grete was the sorowe and full petous the[505] complayntis of the .ii^o.
louers at the departyng. Neuerthelesse within a while aftir Dyomed, the
which was a hye baron and a full worthi knyght, aqweynttyd hym with
Cresseide and labowrd so soore to hir that she loued hym and only[506]
foryate hir trwe loue Troylus. Because that Cresseide was so lyght of
corage, it is seide to the gode knyght that, yf he will sette his herte
in ony plase, late hym be ware that he be not aqwauyntyd with sich a
lady as Cresseide was. And Hermes seith, “Kepe the from evill felachepe,
that thou be not on of theyme.”
Cresseide, of whom a man shulde be ware to aqweynt hym, is veyne glori,
with the which the good sperite shuld not aqwaynte hym, but fle it onto
his power, for it is to lyghte and commyth to sodenly. And Seynt Austyn
opon the Sauter seith that he the which hath wele lerned and asayed by
experiens to ouergoo degrees of vices, he is coume to the knowlyge that
the synne of veyne glory is holy or most specyaly to eschwe of perfyȝte
men, ffor emong all othir synnes it is hardest to ouercom. Therefor the
apostil Seynt Poule seith, [“Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur”].[507]
LXXXV.
When thou hast kylled Patroclus,
Ware of Achilles, I counsell þe thus,
Yf thou loue me, for thei be all on, [Sidenote: f. 64.]
There goods betweyne theym be comon.
Patroclus and Achilles were felawes togedir and ryght dere freendis, so
that there were neuer to[508] brethere loued better togedir, and thei
and here goodes were comon as all o thyng. And because that Hector slew
Patroclus in batayle Achilles had grete hate to Hector, and fro theyns
forthe swore his dethe. But because he doutyd meche his grete streynght,
he lefte neuer to wayte how he myght fynde hym discouered to betray hym.
Therfor Othea seide to Hector, as by profecye of that which was for to
come, that, when he hadde sleyne Patroclus, it were nede for hym to be
ware of Achilles. That is to vnderstond þat euery man the which hath
slayne or mysdoon to anothir mannys trwe freen, his[509] felawe will
take vengance if he may. Therefor Magdare[510] seith, “In what [place]
that euer thou be wyth thy ennemye, holde hym euer in suspecte,
thow[511] that thow be myghtyer than he.”
Where it is seide that, when thow hast sleyne Patroclus thou shulde be
ware of Achilles, we may vnderstond that, yf the goode speryte suffir
hym by the feend to bowe to synne, he howte[512] to dowte euerlastyng
dethe. And Solyn seith,[513] “This present lyue is but a knyghthode
an[d] in tokyn theroff this present lyf is called werre in deference of
that aboue, the which is called victorius, for it hath euer of enemyes.”
To this purpose the apostil Seynt Poule seith, [“Induite vos armaturam
Dei, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli.”][514]
LXXXVI.
Be ware thou voide note fro the Echo,
Ne hir[515] petous complayntes also;
Susteyne all hir wille, yif it may be,
For thou wote not what may com to the.
The fabill seith that Echo was a fayre woman, and because she was wont
to be to grete a iangelere and by hir iangyllyng on a day accused Juno,
the which for ialousie on day lay in awayte on hir husbond, the godesse
was wroothe and seide, “For hens forth thou shalt no more speke fryst,
but after anothir.” Echo was anamored on faire Arcisus,[516] but neyther
for prayer ne for sygne of love that she made to hym he lyst not to haue
pete off hire, in so mych that the faire creature diede for his love.
But dyeng she prayed to the godesse that she myght be vengyd of hyme in
whome [Sidenote: f. 65.] she hade fownde so mych cruellnes that ons yit
thei myghte make hym to fele the charpenesse of loue, whereby he may
preue the grete woo þat veray louers haue the which in loue be
refussede; þan she died. So Eccho made an ende, but hire voyse remaneth,
which lestyth yitte. And there the godes made it perpetuall for memorie
of that aventure, and yit it answheris to pepill in valeyys and on
reueres aftyr the woyse of othir, but it may not speke fryst. Eccho may
syngnyfie a persone the which off grete necessite requyryth the voyse
that is youen to anothir; that is to sey, of nedy pepyll there is
abydyng enowe, for they may not helpe themselffe withowte helpe of
othir.[517] Therefor it is seyde to the good knyght that he shuld haue
pete of nedy pepill that reqwyrith it. And Zaqualquin[518] seith, “Who
so will kepe wele the lawe, shulde helpe hys frend with his goode and
leue to nedi pepill and be gracious, not denying iustice to his enemy,
and kepe hym fro vice and dishonour.”
Be Echo, the which shuld not be refusyd, may be notyd the mercy þat the
good sperite shulde haue in hym selfe. And Seynt Austyn seith in the
book of owre Lo[r]dis Sermon that he made on the Hille that blyssyd be
thoo that willyngly socourith poore pepill, the which be in penowrye,
for thei discerue mercy of God opon them that is in penuery. And it is a
iust thyng that who so will be holpyn of a souereyne more myghtye than
he shuld helpe[519] a sympler than he is, in as myche that he is mythyer
than he. Therefor the wyse man seith in his Prouerbis, [“Qui pronus est
ad misericordiam benedicetur.”][520]
LXXXVII.
Iff thou wilte haue a croune of victorie,
Which is better than ony good wordly,
Damee[521] thou most folue and purswe
And shalt haue hir, if thou will wele swe.
The fabil seith Damee was a gentylwoman that Phebus loued hertily, and
he purswede hire sore, but she wolde not agre to hym. It felle on a day
that he sawe the fayre creature go in a way and he folowed and, whanne
she sawe hym come, she fledde and the god aftir. And when he was so nere
that she sawe well she myght not scape hym, she made hir prayers to the
godes Diane that she shulde save hire virginite, and the body of the
maydyn chaunged into a grene lorier; and when Phebus was come nere
therto, he tooke of the brawnches of the tre and made hym a chaplete in
syngne of victorie. And anamly in the tyme[522] of the Romayns greete
felicite the victorius pepill of theyme were crowned with [Sidenote: f.
66.] lorier. This fabill may haue many vndirstondynges. It myght happe
that some myty man with long traveyle swed a lady in so mych that with
his grete pursvte he com to his will vndir a lorier, and for that cavse
fro theyns forth he loued the lorier and bare it in his devyse in signe
of the victorie that he hade of his love vndir the lorier. And allso the
lorier may be take for golde, the which betokynyth worchippe. It is
seide to the good knyght that he most pursue Damee, if that he will haue
a croune of lorier, that is to seyne, payne and traveyle, yf he will com
to worchippe. To this purpose Omer seyth, “Be grete diligence a man
comyth to grete perfeccion.”